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Materials 'sandwich' breaks barrier for solar cell efficiency

March 5, 2018

Nanomaterials researchers have devised a method to significantly improve the efficiency of organic solar cells. They used a squaraine molecule to both donate electrons and better orient the PBDB-T polymer with the ITIC non-fullerene acceptor. Combined with another design mechanism the group previously pioneered, they achieved efficiency gains of more than 10 percent in converting solar energy into power. The flexible cells could eventually be used in wearables and more.
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SourceNew York University Tandon School of Engineering

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, its budget is $7.5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards.